The Stranger

I met a kind stranger this evening when I stopped at a gas station to fill up before going home.

An elderly gentlemen startled me when he quickly rode over on a bicycle that seemed to be carrying everything he owned.  He asked, "Can I clean your window for fifty cents?"  I looked at the gentle-faced man and said, "that's okay, but let me give you something anyway."  He smiled and said, "Well, they really do need to be cleaned." I laughed (my windows were pretty bad) and said, "You're right" and accepted his offer.

We shared another laugh from a funny comment he made as I pumped my gas and he made my car windows visible again.  Was I a bit wary? Yes!  We live in a crazy world, in tough economic times. A stranger coming up to a female, at night, at a gas station, will give a girl pause. But he seemed to be more concentrated on giving me a sparkling view... as he moved over to my dirty side windows and mirrors.

After showing my appreciation monetarily, I thanked him and hoped he would be blessed. 

Something about our exchange touched me.  Was it his upbeat attitude, even when it appeared he had fallen on tough times? Maybe. His humor, his kind eyes?  I don't know.

I do know that his spirit was contagious. With all that he was obviously dealing with, he still had a smile on his face and humor in his heart. He wiped away the grime and made me see clearly again.   Figuratively and literally.

Instead of a joy moment, I had an inspiring moment today.  God bless the kind stranger.

Stay tuned :-)